The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has launched a high-level investigation after a cheating ring was busted during recruitment exams for schoolteachers. The scandal came to light when a gang manipulating the examination process was caught in Bannu, prompting immediate arrests and raising serious questions about the integrity of the province’s recruitment system.
The Education Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA), which is responsible for conducting the exams, detected the fraudulent activity during province-wide tests. According to officials, the gang managed to smuggle a question paper out of an exam center, solve it at an off-site location, and transmit the answers back to candidates using electronic devices. A sting operation led authorities to a guesthouse in Bannu, where ten suspects were arrested and a cache of evidence, including laptops, mobile phones, and exam-related documents, was seized.
The cheating incident occurred amid recruitment exams that saw around 800,000 candidates vying for just 16,000 teaching positions, intensifying concerns over transparency and fairness. The breakthrough in the investigation came when a gang member, pretending to be a candidate at the University of Science and Technology Bannu, smuggled the paper out. Surveillance teams tracked his movements, leading to a swift raid and multiple arrests.
In response, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has ordered an urgent inquiry into the scandal. He directed the chief secretary to submit a comprehensive report within 15 days. The chief minister has also called for an investigation into how the exam materials were leaked, accountability for any officials or invigilators found negligent, and an overhaul of ETEA’s security protocols to prevent future breaches.
Authorities have been instructed to tighten exam monitoring procedures across the province to restore public confidence in the recruitment process. As the inquiry unfolds, many are watching closely to see whether the government’s crackdown will be enough to rebuild trust in a system that millions depend on for fair access to public sector jobs.
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